Artists in Honfleur

Honfleur is a beautiful French port near Le Havre. It has an enclosed harbor called Le Vieux Bassin that is surrounded by 400 year old buildings that have been converted into shops and restaurants.

I've painted the port several times so I was interested in watching a couple of painters I saw setting up in the area.

While eating lunch, we saw a guy walk by us carrying a canvas. I couldn't see what was on it as it was facing away from us. After taking a tour around the town, I made my way back to the port and saw the guy standing by his easel and "what to my wondering eyes should appear, but" two people working on the same painting at the same time.

They were doing a pretty good job, but they weren't interacting with any of the "onlookers" so I didn't want to interrupt and ask them any questions, like, "who started the painting?" "did you both start with the blank canvas?" "who decides what part of the painting to work on?", etc. I had never seen two people working on the same canvas at the same time. It was pretty interesting.  Not sure if it was a gimmick or not but it was pretty impressive.

Then I walked around the bassin and saw another guy painting. My first impression was that he had quite a pile of tubes of paint. He carried his tubes in a bin and dumped them on the ground.

He seemed to be engaging the people, so I went up to talk to him. He was using a palette knife, so I asked if he did the whole painting with a knife. He said that he uses the knife for the focal points but uses a brush for the background. He owned the gallery across the port on the second floor. From the window of the 2nd floor one can see the port. Pretty neat. He said he had a show in Warren (?), VT at a ski resort.  Nice guy and very friendly.

I think if the couple doing the painting together were more friendly, they would have had a lot of people interested in their work. But, they inspired me to try another large scale painting of this beautiful harbor.

Boston Marathon Bombing

We arrived in Annebecq in Normandy and heard from friends via email about the bombing at the Boston Marathon. Our thoughts go out to the victims and their families. I have a feeling that the marathon will never be the same again.

Congratulations to Kyle and Katie Noble

Yesterday, Kyle and Katie were married in Denver. They have a connection to Paris as Kyle went down on bended knee on the Pont Neuf to propose. Katie had to accept with all those people around.

We are so disappointed that we were not able to make the wedding but were very happy to hear that all the Nobles were able to be there. (I mean the immediate family, not ALL the Nobles).

Congratulations and we'll see you on the Cape

A Beautiful Day in Paris!

Finally, we got a terrific day. It has been mostly cloudy with some rain since we arrived. For the past week everywhere you go you'd hear people talking about the weather. Everyone was looking forward
to Sunday. In my class, in the cafes, in the metro, on the weather reports, everyone was saying, "Il va faire beau Dimanche." And they were right. It was beautiful on Sunday.

There was so much anticipation for the sun that just about all of Paris was out walking around. Tout le monde et son frere, Everyone and his brother was on the street (not a real French expression). My last day of class (will post later about that) was along the Canal St Martin an area we had never visited. So, Judy, Curt and Terry met me there for a bit of strolling around. We thought we would take a canal boat ride that goes through the locks and then under ground before coming out into the Seine, but it was sold out. Next time.

There is a fairly large inner harbor called the Bassin de la Villette. There were tour boats, barges and rowers enjoying the day with some of them jockeying for position to go through the locks.

(Actually, the rower would not go through the locks.)

The area around the canal is in transition. It is becoming trendy but still has a bit of seediness a night. Our class had met at le Cafe Jaures so the 4 of us ended up there for lunch too. We were able to eat outside and enjoy the warm weather and breeze. The waiter was fun and we all ate pretty well.

Then we started our walk down the canal. This photo reminded me of the famous painting Dejeuner sur L'herbe, except it was along the canal. Something about the way they were sitting made me think of the painting. A huge difference, however, is that the women are fully dressed in the photo.

Maybe it's just me.

Then we walked along the canal, passing some locks.

Plus there were several more of these pedestrian bridges along the way.

It is amazing to find this inner harbor and canal in the middle of Paris. It is a bit off the beaten path, but definitely worth the detour. It may not be a  huge tourist spot, but it is well known to the locals.

Our next move was to take the metro and then train back to the 5th and stop at the Luxembourg Gardens which is not far from our apartment. The metros and trains that pass through the major train stations are really interesting. First, they are usually very crowded with travelers dragging their luggage behind them. Next, if you take one of the trains (RER), then you have to know which way to go. The interim stops in Paris may not be listed. I just knew we weren't going to Charles de Gaulle so we went in the opposite direction and we found our train to Luxembourg Gardens. Lastly, there is such a variety of people. All sorts of shapes and sizes, many different languages and many in  native dress. At one point, I said to Curt, "we're not in Kansas any more."

 When we came out of the metro onto the Boulevard St. Michel, there was a massive backup. First there were two ice cream stands that were very crowded, then the police were preventing people from entering the park through the small gate. They were sending them around to the other side where it was, presumably, less crowded. We looked into the garden and saw that it was absolutely packed with people. The walks were overflowing  and almost every inch of grass was covered with blankets and "picnickers" as far as the eye could see. It was like Woodstock, if Woodstock was in a beautiful park in the middle of a beautiful city.

So, we went to plan B and stopped at a local English Pub next to the Pantheon, called Le Bombardier, for a pint of John Bull lager. They feature English Pub food so we may go back there again for some Shepard's Pie or Roast Beef.

It was a full but very enjoyable day. Now it's time for leftovers. Tomorrow we are off to Normandy for a few days.
.

My Neighbor's Window

                                                                     My Neighbor

 What have I been doing this past month while Tony paints?  Well I've become a voyeur.  I am fascinated by city living in such close proximity.  If I look out our kitchen window I am faced with 2 large windows and 2 small windows.  Every morning as I make the coffee the neighbor's cats greet me from their beds in the 2 large windows.

You can see our building in the reflection.

Shortly after coffee" the mademoiselle of the cats" begins her day by opening the red drapes shaking all her blankets out the window.  Then she begins her daily washing.  How do I know

this you ask?

I am an astute observer.

Now that's a good use of my time!  Judy

Transparency and Reflection with Pauline Fraisse

Today I start a new workshop with Pauline Fraisse. It is a 3 day workshop broken into two parts each day. In the morning we will work on drawing accurately with a different emphasis each day. One day it is Contrasts, the next Light and Color and then Transparencies and Line. In the late afternoon each day we will go to Pauline's studio to work on exercises using our imagination. By training our eye to see reality and combining that with our imagination as to what and how we want to see things, we will produce our own Carnet du Voyage (Travel Journal) by the end of the workshop.

I'm looking forward to it with an open mind.

Click Here to see more about this class.

Nothing in particular

Curt and Terry Hathaway are here for a while and we've been just taking in the scenery and enjoying Paris.

Walked over the Seine and heard a college band rhythm section banging out a great sound. When we crossed the street from the Metro stop and looked over the bridge to the roadway below and we saw the Paris Marathon moving its way along the river. It was a mile 15. Great scenery along the river.

They were moving along pretty well considering they were more than halfway through the race. Later we saw lots of the runners coming out of the metro stations as they made it back to their apartments in Paris.

We had some rain storms today but they came through quickly and there was sun from time to time. That normally produces some interesting weather. So, I happened to look out our window and caught this sight. I love rainbows. You might be able to see the double rainbow to the right of the main one.

All for now,.

For my NVA buddies.

Judy was so anxious to make sure I was busy while she ran around with new friends from the American Women's Group in Paris, that she insisted that I find an art class to attend. As it turns out, she has yet to attend any of the AWG functions and I am quite busy with my art work.

 

  I found an artist named Patrick Fouilhoux and I attend one of his weekly sessions at his studio between La Bastille and the Gare de Lyons. I liked him immediately. His studio is what I imagined it should be complete with what has to be a centuries old fireplace. He is very friendly and relaxed (we all tutoyer each other...use the familiar "tu" instead of the formal "vous"). And he must be a good instructor as he has pointed out the same problems as other instructors. Know what I mean, Kim?

There have been two young English speaking female students that have been there a couple of times but otherwise they are all French and about my age. They too are friendly and welcoming. We have our "after party" half way through the class and have tea or coffee. Patrick makes sure that I am included in the conversation. I'm feeling pretty comfortable with them after a couple of classes.



He has plenty of easels and lots of supplies for use by the students and he makes sure he makes the rounds to cover everyone a number of times. I just like having someone else to paint with. I'm enjoying it.

So far, I think I've completed 3 small canvases. Here are a couple of them. One of these may look familiar.

 

And I'm working on this view of the Pantheon from down the street from our apartment. I have another that I've started that I hope to really get going on this week.

I've also been doing a little more with the sketching and water colors. I'm taking it in phases, I guess. I attended another of Pauline Fraisse's sketching sessions. This time we met near the Place D'Italie and, after some warm up exercises, we strolled to the Butte des Cailles area. This is an interesting area with different architecture than a lot of Paris. It was a leather tanning center and there are several springs in the area that were used in the tanning business. People fill their water jugs from the springs just like we do in Sandwich.

This one I did while sitting in a small park, along with the other students.  It was the first time I added the water color in "plein air". It is a bit intimidating painting en plein air but a bit worse in a foreign country. There were the usual gawkers but no real critics. It's kind of a mess, but I know I could make it better next time.

We spent the rest of the time in a small Italian cafe where we worked on the contrast between was inside the cafe and what we saw through the window into the street. A valuable exercise.

The following day I did sketch in pencil on site at Place des Vosges then came back to the apartment and dropped in some color. Just had to find an unoccupied bench to get started which was not easy as it seems as everyone was out, it being the first sunny day in a while.

And finally, I just redrew my scene from the Jardins des Plantes and added the water color.

As I said above, I am enjoying all of these artistic activities. I hope that Judy can get out of the apartment and have some fun too. 

A Chance Encounter

So, the other day, Judy and I were walking up Rue Mouffetard towards our place when I saw a guy on a folding bike stopped in the middle of the narrow street looking at a piece of paper. He had a stocking cap pulled down to his eyes, but his profile was unmistakable. I stopped and said to him, "Are you living here now?" He said, "No, man, I'm just on vacation here. How about you?" Sure enough it was Owen Wilson. You know, from the movies...

After we talked for a minute or so ( he was real nice. Did you know his mother, at one time, lived in Belmont?), I asked if he needed directions. He said,  "Yeah, man, do you know where the Jardins des Plantes is?", with Jardins des Plantes in the worst American accent I've heard. (Wasn't he in Midnight in Paris?). I said, sure and I showed him on my little book of maps. He said, "Actually, I'm really trying to find the Place de la Contrescape". I said, "you are there now." He said, "Actually, I'm really trying to find 74 Rue Cardinal Lemoine." I said, "I know where that street is. Go straight ahead to the light, turn right to the next light and you run into it. I'm not sure which way is 74, but you'll find it. Go left or right."

He thanked me and took off on his folding bike with, believe it or not, his mother trailing behind him. She is French and complimented Judy on her appearance, saying she looked French. She, his mother, lives in Texas now.

I was curious to find out where he was going, so later I followed my own directions to find 74 Rue Cardinal Lemoine. I went to the light and turned right, then right at the next light then turned right again to find 74. So, you know what happens when you take a right then another right then another right? You end up back where you started. Sure enough, 74 was a vegetarian restaurant about 50 feet from where we stood when I gave  him directions to go around the block. Rue Cardinal Lemoine runs right into the Place de la Contrescarpe.

I kept looking for him for the next few days to apologize to no avail. I hope he doesn't talk about me on Late Night TV...

Fresh Flowers

Before leaving last week, Tom and Peggy Wilfong wanted to do something special for Judy. Judy had expressed how much she loved having fresh flowers in the apartment, so Tom dragged me aside and we went off to find a nearby florist. There are several in the neighborhood where we have bought some flowers but the one closest to our metro stop seemed like the best choice. At least I knew that Judy could find it.

So, Tom and I went in and talked to the young lady telling her we wanted to buy cut flowers each week for the next 4 weeks. She was very nice and understood exactly what we wanted to do and told us to come in on Tuesday when the fresh flowers arrive.

So, the following Tuesday, Judy and I went to the florist for our new flowers. There was a different guy there but we had our receipt and he was very accommodating. They had a nice selection of "normal" and exotic cut flowers to choose from. Our first choice was a Bird of Paradise.This looks great on the mantle above the fireplace. They should last a couple of weeks.

 Our next choice was this bouquet that Judy posed in the fireplace. Not sure what they are but they should last until our next batch. They move around from place to place where ever Judy wants some color.

After we had made our selections, the clerk went to his file system (a folder with plastic inserts) pulled something out and said, "Vous etes Madame Donovan?". Judy said "Oui" and he handed her a note. This was a note with a message that Tom and I had previously dictated to the young lady when he paid for the flowers. It said,

"Thank you for everything. Tom and Peggy"

Nice touch.

A Visit to the Sennalier Store

While looking for art supplies in Paris, a few people have recommended the Sennelier Store located at 3 Quai Voltaire. There are a few others places to buy supplies, like the BHV department store which I recommend, but I wanted to check out Sennelier.

For those who work in pastel, it would be like a pilgrimage to go there. It is in a great location, along the Seine across from the Louvre between antiques shops and near the Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux Arts. What a great spot.We took the 24 bus which runs along the river and got off near the Musee D'Orsay and walked back. Despite the being an overcast day, it was great being out walking along the quai.

The storefront is small and tucked between a couple of buildings. The window display was very creative and eclectic. It seemed a little intimidating to enter. At first, I wasn't going to go in, but I thought they might have a medium I could use with the water based oils I'm playing with.







Walking in, you feel a bit overwhelmed as it is crammed with every shape, size and color of pastel you would want. Inside it is small. There is a counter on the left, shelves in the middle and narrow aisles on either side of the middle row. There were 3 salespeople in there, but no one else.

I took a quick look around and then asked in my best French if they had a  "liquin like thing for water oils". The guy seemed to understand me as he pointed to some drawers in the corner. I looked in the drawers myself and it was just paint. I heard another salesperson say to him to look in the bottom drawer. Maybe she understood my question better. The salesguy didn't say anything to  me. So, I looked in the bottom drawer myself and found a medium for water based oils, just what I was looking for. I paid my 6.70 euros and we left.

When we were outside, we both commented on the lack of service and friendliness in the store. I really hadn't thought about it or had any expectations before entering, but when they didn't even meet NO expectations, we were a little surprised. Oh well, maybe they get foreigners in there all the time. I'll stick with BHV from now on.

First crack at watercolor

I have been doing a little bit of sketching to try to quickly capture some scenes of the touristy life and the normal life around Paris. I've done some while sitting on a park bench or out our window, while others have been done from photos I've taken of a particular scene. I've also done a couple that are just made up in my head. I guess they all count as "sketches".

A few people have noted (Kim, Haydi and Pauline) that adding a bit of color to the pencil sketch adds a lot. In fact, when I went to my first workshop, everyone had water colors but me. They all had some sort of travelling set. One young girl dropped hers in the Tea Room at the Mosque and the little chunks of color spilled all over the floor. I bent down to help pick them up but her father was already crawling under the table. So, as to not stand out any more than I already do, I bought a cheap travel water color set at BHV (Bazzare Hotel de Ville). You can see the size of it next to my coffee cup. I've yet to try painting while holding it on my lap. That should be an experience.

Anyway to make a long entry extremely short, here are my first attempts at sketching and adding water color. I think the idea with sketching is to quickly capture a scene, not worrying about a detailed result. And the water color is just to add some life to the scene, not paint a complete water color work. I think I've succeeded at NOT getting detailed results and NOT getting a complete water color painting. ;>)

Here are a couple of scenes from Montmartre with Sacre Coeur in the background. I like practicing these perspective drawings. Even though there are lots of angles, the verticals still have to be straight up and down. I may be off a bit there. Oh well.

Here is a quick version of Notre Dame as seen from a little park across the Seine. The short bridge across to the church can't be seen from the park.

If I get enough of these (and they are good enough) I am going to create a little book for myself with 25-30 little memories of the time here in Paris. 

Easter Sunday in Paris

We don't usually make a big deal out of Easter Sunday. Sometimes we  have dinner with my family, but normally it is pretty low key. The most notable Easter dinner in recent memory is having peanut butter crackers and diet coke with the Nobles while sitting on a wall outside a Shell station in Mexican Hat, Utah halfway between Monument Valley and the Valley of the Gods.

However, we hear the bells of the Eglise St. Etienne every day from our apartment. So, we decided to attend Easter Sunday mass. It is just around the corner from us, tucked in behind the Pantheon and next to the frozen food store. Very convenient.
This church originally was the Abby of St Genevieve who was buried there in the 6th century (yes, 6th century), and was rebuilt, starting in 1492 when land was given to Paris to build a larger cathedral. It was rebuilt as the Cathedral of St. Etienne (St Stephen) who was a very early Christian martyr. See Wikipedia for all the "facts".  There is a sculpture above one of the doors depicting the stoning of St. Stephen. The founder of St Vincent de Paul was a parishioner in this church.

This is a beautiful church with the altar in the middle with the people in the front and the back looking towards the altar. There is a huge organ at one end and stained glass windows all around.

The ceilings are vaulted which show highlights as the sun comes through the window. And there are beautiful spiral stone staircases on each side of the altar to a walkway above. 

Very impressive

The mass itself, an Easter High Mass, was very solemn. It began with a procession of a half dozen altar boys carrying huge candles. Then all 6 priests associated with the church followed. They came around the side of the church, then up the middle aisle, with the strong smell of incense trailing behind them. It was very cold in the church and despite some modern conveniences like a couple of lights and a PA system, I felt like I was back in the middle ages. The chairs were small and connected with pieces of wood and there were no kneelers in the church, so people either stood or sat during the ceremony depending on their whim. We decided not to take any pictures during the mass.

There was a baptism during the mass which must have been very special for the parents and baby Anna.


After the mass, the procession led outside where all the priests greeted the attendees. The organist played while the priests and congregation exited. We waited til he was finished before leaving. It was an amazing performance by the organist and the organ absolutely filled the whole church with its powerful sound. This was a pleasant and spiritual way to spend our Easter Sunday morning even though it took 1 1/2 hours.

We may even go back again.

But the day was not over. After a light lunch in the apartment, we discovered that there would be a gospel performance at the little Eglise St. Julien le Pauvre. This is the oldest church in Paris and located just across the Seine from Notre Dame. There is a small park next to the church that has a few benches and what looks like ruins from Roman times. It is a peaceful little park and it is also a great place from which to view Notre Dame.

Here is the view across the river to the Ile de la Cite and the silhouette of Notre Dame.

We paid our money and entered to find a place to sit. There was a pretty good crowd  but we got great seats in the small church.

The group was made up of a pianist, bass player, 3 male singers and 5 females. Each one took a turn as the lead. The woman below was fantastic. She had great range and tons of emotion. We are not sure where they were from, but probably not the States. They had an accent that might have come from one of the French colonies. They sang typical spirituals in English and possibly African. It was difficult to tell.

Seeing and hearing them perform in this environment was emotional and inspirational. After some prodding, we all got to our feet to clap and join along in the singing.

Lots of Fun...